The Boring Blog

I’m finding it really challenging to keep up my blog. It isn’t that I don’t want to share what’s going in my life with those back home but finding the motivation, when my internet is fickle, and friends continue to move back to their respective homes, time is precious. Somehow spending the time to be articulate and witty seems too much to fathom. And to be honest, I’m really lazy when it comes to some things, and I’m finding this to be the case with blogging. I’m also really bad at coming up with a title. Since the title is probably the first thing one reads, it’s essential that it can draw one in. It’s a pretty important concept to writers. No, I don’t consider myself to be that amazing of a writer (evidenced by my inability to convey the above sentence in a sophisticated manner)

I have a friend here who commented on the fact that her blog suffered once things became routine. Nothing new was happening and sharing mundane daily tasks seemed superfluous. I think that’s another reason why I’m not blogging. Letting you know that I spent the day at church and with friends in a café in Jerusalem is not particularly paradigm shifting news. Letting you know that for the 122324 consecutive hour my internet decided that my request for it to work was too much to handle also seems pointless. And whiny. And I don’t want to sound whiny. Despite my disinterest in blogging, I am committed to keeping this up and running and to keep whatever kind of readership I have pleased. So here it goes.

My birthday is two days away and this marks the third consecutive year I’m celebrating it away from home. While technically I spent my 22^nd birthday in Grantham, which was my “home,” I had just returned from South Africa and found that many of my friends had already returned home for J-Term break and I was pretty much left alone aside from lunch with a friend. Due to the uneventful nature of that birthday, I’m going to pretend that I spent it in South Africa, because that’s a substantially better story.  I generally don’t get extremely excited about my birthday, but this year I’m having a joint birthday party with a friend. We’re having a New York vs. Chicago themed party where guests have to choose where their allegiances lie. Given how ultra competitive I am, and how thoroughly convinced I am that New York is the most important State in the U.S., I am excited to win. I think I have a pretty low chance of winning though, considering how my regional arrogance (and general arrogance, I suppose) will probably rub many the wrong way. For all those reading back in the States you should know that I can receive mail (letters and packages) here so if you’re interested in increasing my birthday cheer (or, if you’re just sending it out now, my post birthday cheer) please feel free.

Perhaps the most interesting news item I have to share is my recent decision to become a vegan. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but never thought I could do. Seeing as how I thought I could never be a vegetarian, and that lasted for almost three years, I’m biting the bullet and jumping in full steam ahead (the theme of this entry is to see how many clichés I can use.) I have a few friends who are vegan here—some of whom have been converted recently—so I’m hoping to have a few people to keep my accountable. We will see how long it lasts. I’ve been eating meat since I moved here but I’m really not feeling it and think that this will be a healthier move. It will be difficult because the bible college provides me with a great hot lunch every day that is usually jammed pack with meat.

I’m starting to spend a good chunk of my time researching and applying for things to do next year. Though for a time I was considering extending my term, I have decided that more than likely I’m going to return home. I love Bethlehem and the community I have here and in Jerusalem, but the more I think about it, the more I feel that a 1 year term is the best amount of time for me. Living in Palestine-Israel can be extremely draining at times, and while I’m confident that I could make another year happen successfully, I think I need to explore other options and gain more experience in different areas. I’m also convinced that I can really do the best for people here by going back to the States and educating fellow Americans and lobbying people in power. Nothing is set in stone yet, and I’m open to other things as well.  Well, that’s it for now.

until next time,

knc

~ by rumblings of a northerner in the south on January 25, 2010.